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Description

NRDC is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 1.4 million members and online supporters. Since 1970, our lawyers, scientists, and other environmental specialists have worked to protect the world's natural resources, public health, and the environment. NRDC works in countries including the United States, China, India, Canada, Mexico, Chile, Costa Rica, and EU.

With a team of nearly thirty experts in Beijing and the United States, NRDC’s China Program is at the forefront of supporting China’s efforts on energy efficiency, renewable energy and environmental protection. We are proud to have collaborated with many academic, governmental, and non-governmental partners around the country to help accelerate these efforts.

Position Description:

Over the past two years, the China Shale Gas Environmental Safeguards Project has been cooperating with government research institutes to research and provide recommendations for the development of China’s shale gas environmental regulations and standards, based on the latest science and regulations on shale gas environmental impacts in the United States. China’s government and industry have actively pursued the development of shale gas resources in the past few years, drilling over four hundred exploratory and production wells in Sichuan, Chongqing and other parts of China. However, shale gas development and hydraulic fracturing pose a number of negative upstream threats to the environment and public health, including water consumption, water pollution risks from wastewater treatment and disposal, air pollution from development activities, etc. The Science Fellow will provide scientific analysis and advocate for NRDC’s work to provide recommendations for developing strong shale gas environmental policies, regulations and standards in China.

The Fellow will be based in NRDC’s Beijing office, as part of the China Shale Gas Environmental Safeguards project, and will be supervised by the China Climate and Energy Policy Project Director in Beijing, who will help the Fellow become familiar with relevant policies and regulations. The Fellow will receive additional guidance and mentoring support from NRDC’s Science Center, whose mission is to expand NRDC's scientific capabilities and increase support for the role of science in public policy. The Fellow will also collaborate with NRDC’s Beijing-based environmental law team and with US colleagues focused on strengthening environmental regulations and standards related to shale gas development in the US.

Responsibilities

The Science Fellow will provide scientific and policy analysis and expertise to support NRDC’s work and advocacy in China. Responsibilities will include:
•Preparing technical analysis and policy recommendation reports, primarily in Chinese, but also in English, on the environmental impacts of fracking and shale gas development, with a particular focus on water pollution issues, and based on the latest scientific and policy developments in the US and China.
•Communicating this analysis and policy recommendations to Chinese policymakers, research institutes, industry, experts, and other relevant parties, to support development of strong shale gas environmental standard and regulations in China. Seeking to build consensus among stakeholders on strong environmental standards.
•Cooperating with shale gas environmental experts in the US and China, including scientific research on environmental impacts from unconventional oil and gas development.
•The Fellow will also have the opportunity to write articles for publication in academic journals, blog posts, and other information channels.
•The Fellow will work closely with NRDC China and US-based staff and partners in China.

Requirements

Required Qualifications:
•Ph.D. (or a Masters with extensive research or industry experience) in geoscience, petroleum engineering, hydrology, environmental science, or a related field.
•Excellent research skills.
•Oral and written fluency in both Mandarin and English.
•Strong technical and analytical skills.
•Ability to communicate and advocate ideas and recommendations clearly and effectively in writing and orally.